Newcastle United Football Club; a shadow of what it once was. They used to be one of the biggest clubs in the Country, however under the rudderless ownership of Mike Ashley who hasn’t invested in the club to help get them back to where they once were, but now they are looking like they could be bought and be a new powerhouse in the Premier League, but to do this they are going to need a manager who knows how to build a side and take them forward, with many people in agreement Steve Bruce isn’t the man to do this.
The 'Toon' will certainly have the pick of the litter when it comes to managers, with the fan base they have and the money they will have to spend Newcastle are looking like a really exciting project for someone to lead forward. So, who are the choices Newcastle will have to choose from?
Rafa Benitez
A return of a fan favourite? Rafa served as Newcastle manager for 3 years before he decided to not renew his contract due to a bad relationship with owner Mike Ashley however a change in ownership may mean Rafa could be tempted to return to the Toon.
Benitez took charge of Newcastle on the 11th of March 2016 taking over from Steve McClaren who had already made the club destined for relegation to the Championship, but it only took Benitez’s side one attempt to get back to the Premier League. Following this in his first full Premier League season with Newcastle he got the club their highest finish in four years, but finished 13th the following season and refused to sign a new contract because he couldn’t improve the side due to a lack of investment from Mike Ashley.
With Benitez already very loved up in Newcastle so would be great choice to get all the fans united after a long period under Ashley which some have described as ‘toxic’ also, he is already a proven manager, with his history in the game including managing the likes of Real Madrid Liverpool and Chelsea I think he could be a great fit to return and help Newcastle develop.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino is currently unemployed but has a great record of developing sides. His managerial career started with Espanyol only a month after getting his UEFA Pro License, he was tasked with saving them from relegation and he excelled managing to secure them a mid-table finish that season, he then followed it up the next season with another sturdy league position. In the 12/13 season he and his side began to struggle, Pochettino blamed this on the financial restrictions and as a result, he left the club by mutual consent. Although he didn’t leave the club in a good position he is remembered there as a good manager who had a clear and solid high pressing style while helping youth players to develop into first-team players.
Following this, he had a short spell at Southampton where in one season he managed to get Southampton their highest points tally ever in the Premier League, with iconic wins over Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool. Tottenham were so impressed with what he had done they offered him a five-year contract and there he turned a club struggling to challenge for a top-four place every year to a title contender and champions league finalist however he had reached a ceiling at Spurs and couldn’t take them any further.
Pochettino would be a great choice for Newcastle, with a track record doing well in England with not a lot of money to spend on transfers, if he had the budget that Newcastle when he was at Tottenham there is no doubt that he would still be there and be a lot more successful than he was. He is also great at bringing in players from the academy and integrating them into the first team, something which is key for a club to be sustainable and will help them with the financial fair play rules.
Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe has always been continuously linked with a move to a top club, however, has stayed at Bournemouth since 2012 after returning from Burnley having already served three years as Manager from 2008-2011. He saved them from relegation out of League Two and has taken them to the Premier League. Howe isn’t just known for getting the results he has also implemented his own style of play on Bournemouth and is highly praised for his attractive football.
Howe would be a smart choice for Newcastle as he is a proven manager but if Newcastle fan’s dreams come true and they are wanting to become a powerhouse in English football is Howe really the right choice as the only trophy he has ever won is the Championship.
Massimiliano Allegri
A name which shocked me when I saw he was linked to the Newcastle job, with his last job being at Juventus, a proven manager in Italy winning six Serie A titles, but could he go from the black and white stripes of Juventus to the black and white stripes of Newcastle?
There is no doubt he is a top manager and would massively improve Newcastle however with no current experience in England, I can’t see this being a realistic target for Newcastle to land however I thought the same about Ancelotti and Everton so never say never.
Allegri has a similar style to Conte where his side would be very organised defensively and would know their individual roles, however as great coaches do, he put his own trademark on it and would be a lot more versatile with formations often switching between 3-5-2 and 4-2-3-1 formations. In some games it would be impossible to tell a consistent formation as when his side were defending it would appear to be a 5-4-1 formation but when they would be pressing it would change to a 4-4-2 then when attacking they would adopt a 4-2-3-1. #
My personal opinion is if Allegri was to walk into Newcastle today, he would struggle due to the fact he wouldn’t have the quality of players to implement these tactics on straight away, with the potential of getting everyone’s expectations too high he would be walking in under a lot of pressure and all eyes on him, he could fall short of what people would expect.
This article was written exclusively for golear.co.uk
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